Angel of the Moon
by Rosabell
Summary: Seven years ago, Seto Kaiba disappeared, leaving his brother and his friends to think he was dead. Now, Japan is coming to its end, as well as the rest of the world. The group sees Seto late one night. What's going on? What happened to him?
1. Default Chapter

Angel of the Moon

Chapter 1

The day was very special to Mokuba. Not because it was his birthday or his brother's birthday, or the day their parents died or the day they got adopted. 

No. It was the day that Seto disappeared.

How odd it seems, the young Kaiba reflected, that he should always think of his Ni-sama as " dead" instead of " gone". At first it was hard to accept it. He always corrected himself. But now, whenever he thought " Big Brother died today", he never bothered correcting the statement anymore.

How many years had it been? Seven years. His brother had turned sixteen some time ago. Mokuba remembered that his brother looked tired and pale. Strange, he had thought. Was there more work? But no, his brother still kept the dinner schedule, asking Mokuba how school was and about his friends, checking his homework, cooking, all the things he did besides work. So what was wrong?

Then Seto was gone. He went to work one morning and never came back. Mokuba waited one whole night, lying awake on his bed, hoping to hear the sound of a car pulling up and the locks being opened with a key. None came. Only the whispers of the wind through the trees, and the soft hooting of some night creature. The next morning he called Kaiba Corps. Kaiba had left early. He called the police. A massive search was conducted. There was no sign. It was as if Seto Kaiba had disappeared off the earth.

He might still be alive. Or his body might be rotting somewhere. You can't have a grave for someone who isn't dead, and until there is proof, Mokuba wouldn't have it. Still, he knew subconsciously he was already losing hope. Who can live for seven years without appearing somewhere?

Seven years. Mokuba is going to college. Kaiba Corps had fallen with the absence of its most competent CEO, and it was purely thanks to Seto's hard work that Mokuba still lived in relative luxury. Luxury, in economic terms, because there was no more love in the household. Every day from his high school he came home to an empty house, silent and dark and big, and when he went to bed no one was there to tuck him in and in the morning no one was there to drag him out. He was alone.

Oh Yugi-tachi. They were helpful, sure. During the day they offered what companionship they could, but they had their own lives. Jou needs to go home. Anzu needs to go home. Sometimes Mokuba stayed at one of their houses. But always he came back to an empty mansion. Dead. Forgotten.

Nothing can replace family.

Seven years. Seven bloody years of loneliness and despair. Mokuba never took Seto for granted, not since their parents died. As the years went by his fear of losing his brother eased but was never completely gone. Still, Fate took that opportunity to destroy him. Wretched Fate. Wretched Luck. Mokuba almost wished they did find Seto's body, that way he wouldn't linger around like a ghost who had unfinished business but had no power to complete it.

He tried leaving the mansion several times. But something always drew him back. All the memories of the place. The sorrow and pain, the joy and light. The warmth of the household when he was young. Even when Gozaburo was there, there was warmth.

The moon was shining. Mokuba placed the incense in front of the photo of Seto. He bowed down.

" Come home Ni-sama."

  
  
In Egypt they praised the sun. And no wonder. It wasn't really because the sun is brighter and made the day more colorful and cheery. In truth, the Egyptians couldn't care less. It was because the Sun feeds the crops and vegatables and made everything grow. It gave warmth to the air and ground and the waters of the Nile. The fire at camps came from the Sun. The candlelights came from the sun. Life came from the sun.

But now that Yami thought about it, the moon wasn't that bad. The Sun, with all its cheeriness, seemed almost silly on this sad day. The moon was always thoughtful, neither sad nor happy, giving room for both.

Today was the Moon Festival. The moon was at its yellowish and roundest of the entire year. Funny, because it's yellower than Yami had ever seen, and beautiful, because it was such a perfect circle. They say that such a circle will not be seen for several decades.

Seven years, and they still haven't found a blasted clue. Yami wished they would. He didn't really care what kind of clue it was anymore, he just wanted one. And it hurt him to see how Seto Kaiba's name gradually faded out of existence. There were other champions now. Other CEO's. Kaiba Corps was no more.

He wondered if Seto was still alive, how the man would think of that. This year he should be twenty three years old.

He is now a young man.

Odd. Yami will always think of him as a child. Then again, it isn't that odd, because Yami will always be at least five thousand years older than the other man. Man? Is Seto Kaiba a Man already? Yami always thought of him as Child. In his mind, he always called him " That child" or " that boy" or " Seto".

Seto Kaiba should have grown up. That is, if he was still growing.

" Congrats." Yami muttered bitterly. " You are officially an adult."  
" Really?" An eerily familiar voice asked. Yami whirled around. His eyes widened. It couldn't be!

But it was. Seto Kaiba was standing there. He was dressed in white, complete white, and he was looking at the moon. Yami stared at him speechlessly. He really didn't need to speak anyway.

" I'm glad you think that." Seto continued, or whoever it was that looked like Seto when he was sixteen. " But considering the fact that you haven't aged a year, what makes you think I will?"

Yami stepped back, rubbing his eyes. When he opened them, Seto was gone. There was no sign, not even footprints. It was as if Seto was never there. Yet Yami was sure he was!

" I must be going insane." The spirit muttered to himself as he resumed his musings.

Bakura kicked at a stone. College was boring. Most of the time you just hang out with your friends, go to social gatherings such as parties and concerts. Your future was all cut out for you. You know every business corporation would be kicking each others' behinds to get you into the company.

Ironic. Several years ago, Bakura always thought that he would be in Kaiba Corps one day. It was his aim when he came to Japan. He was never interested in archaeology like his father. He was interested in business. And Kaiba Corps was one of the richest and biggest in the world. Bakura always wanted to join.

But now, without the CEO, and with Japan's economy rapidly declining, Kaiba Corps quickly failed despite the new leader. It was hard to believe that the fate of that company had rested on Seto's shoulders and Seto's alone, and he bore it so that when he was gone, no other shoulder could do the same. 

He noticed that it was getting late. Standing up, he began to walk back to the dorms. Above the university loomed before him. He remembered the thrill of getting in there. Tokyo University. The college where even the Prince had to take an exam to get in. He was in the best university in all of Japan. His future looked bright.

But then, with Japan's economy rapidly failing, and the threat of the United States with their nuclear bombs, or " Little Boys" ready at hand, Bakura knew that his future will never be as bright as he imagined it would be.

Talks were starting already. The government wanted to begin the construction of nuclear bombs despite the US. Naturally, America didn't approve. Bakura didn't know if they still went on with it. If they did, they'll be sacrificing the lives of millioins of people. No one can hide such a big project anymore, with all the satellites they have looming around the Earth.

And then there's China. China also has nuclear weapons. They could bomb Japan to pieces. What kind of future would he have then?

Suddenly, Bakura envied Seto Kaiba. The bastard who died so he will never have to see the Armageddon, or whatever they called it. No, Seto will never see it. Because when he died, his world was bright. He was rich. He was famous. He was the Great Seto Kaiba.

" You look so solemn." A musical voice danced in the air. " What troubles you?"

Bakura snapped his head up. " Who's there?"

There was a giggle. Bakura felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand up, and a cold chill rest on his body like a shroud.

" Come on, don't you remember me?"

Bakura looked up. It was him. Only he seemed shorter, because Bakura himself grew taller. It was Kaiba, just as he remembered, only paler and clothed in white with the sneer absent from his face. He looked divine. He looked like an angel. Bakura sucked in his breath. He didn't know what to do.

" You've grown taller. You're as tall as me now." The specter that looked like Seto observed, tilting his head. " But you seem more troubled. I thought you would be proud, being a student of Tokyo University."  
" I..." Bakura looked behind him to see if there was anyone else there who noticed Seto. No one. He turned around. " I-"

But Seto was gone. There weren't footprints in the dirt. In fact, the area where Seto was standing happened to be covered with bushes. There were no signs of anything trampling them, and the bushes had thorns. Seto couldn't possibly be standing there.

Bakura swallowed nervously. He couldn't be going mad. It's not like him. Yet Seto's ghost didn't make sense. He looked too cheerful to be Seto. And then again, if he looked too cheerful, how could Bakura have imagined him?

And why is he so young? Bakura reflected on how Yugi had experienced a late growth spurt. He wasn't the tallest guy in the world, but at least he was no longer a midget. And they all experienced changes. Anzu's voice became more melodious. The others became more deep and less rough. Seto's voice sounded exactly like those of a teenager.

Bakura blinked. There couldn't have been anyone there. Thank goodness no student or teacher was here to see him talking to thin air. Shaking the memory off like a dog shaking water, Bakura walked back on the path leading onto the dorms.

He needed a good night's sleep.

  
  
Yugi frowned. Who would be talking in the hallways at this late hour? He peeked out of his dorm. Bakura wouldn't do that. He's not the type. Yet the voice sounded familiar. Jou's? Honda's? No, they're not in this school. Maybe one of his new friends. Rusuko? Yoshida?

" _I took my girl to a fancy ball;  
It was a social hop,  
We waited till the folks got out,  
And the music it did stop.  
Then to a restaurant we went,  
The best one on the street;  
She said she wasn't hungry,  
But this is what she eat:  
A dozen raw, a plate of slaw,  
A chicken and a roast,  
Som applesass and sparagrass,  
And soft-shelled crabs on toast.  
A big box stew, and crackers too,  
Her appetite was immense!  
When she called for a pie,  
I thought I'd die,  
For I had but fifty cents!"_

The voice suddenly transferred to another section of the building, but Yugi felt a blush heating his cheeks. Several nights ago he had taken a girl on a date-she was a fellow student and a very nice young lady. That night Yugi lost his wallet but didn't realize it until they entered a restaurant. The girl was not as monstrous as the one in the poem, but she did eat enough to give them some trouble. In the end, he had to go home while leaving the girl there to fetch some money to free her. The waiters were sympathetic, fortunately.

_" She said she wasn't hungry,  
And didn't care to eat,  
But I've got money in my clothes,  
To bet she can't be beat.  
She took it in so cozy,  
She had an awful tank;  
She said she wasn't thirsty,  
But this is what she drank:  
A whiskey skin, a glass of gin,  
Which made me shake with fear,  
A ginger pop, with rum on top,  
And then a glass of beer.  
A glass of ale, a gin cocktail,  
She should have had more sense,  
When she called for more,  
I fell on the floor,  
For I had but fifty cents!"_

Oh yes, the wine. Yugi remembered it well, He shuddered. He wondered who was mocking him so. He didn't tell anyone. Surely his girlfriend didn't either. Right?

" _Of course I wasn't hungry,  
And didn't care to eat;  
Expecting every moment  
To be kicked out to the street.  
She said she'd fetch her family round,  
And some night we'd have fun;  
When I gave the man the fifty cents,  
This is what he done:  
He tore my clothes,  
He broke my nose,  
He smashed me in the jaw;  
He gave me a prize,  
Of a pair of black eyes,  
And with me swept the floor.  
He took me where my pants hung loose,  
And threw me over the fence-  
Take my advice,  
Don't try it twice,  
When you got but fifty cents!"_

Yugi couldn't take it. Suddenly, it seemed the voice came from right behind him. Yugi whirled around in alarm. There was no one there. He peeked outside his door. There was no one in the hallway. All was quiet. Then a musical giggling, which broke into laughter, light and sweet and carefree. The windows slammed shut abruptly and Yugi turned, his heart racing. There was no one there. All sounds were gone. All was silent.

A few minutes later Bakura found Yugi pale and shakened on his bed.

  
  
Shadi was silent for a long time as he gazed at the inscriptions on the wall. The prophecy had been fulfilled, but his heart was troubled. Out of all the Millennium Holders he alone knew the true story-a story that the Pharaoh had confided to him and him alone so many years ago. Since the Pharaoh died the story had always been a secret, passing down in history as it may.

The disappearance of Seto Kaiba had disturbed him greatly. Shadi could not recall if a parallel incident had occurred before, but he was certain that this was not how it's supposed to turn out. The High Priest should have recollected his memories and reconciled with the Pharaoh-or at least, the Pharaoh should have reconciled with the High Priest. But how can this happen with the High Priest dead?

Shadi frowned. Once again, he remembered his old mentor's words. _Man can only see so far._ It was true. No matter how powerful the sorceror, how wise the sage, they could only see so far, and after five thousand years, all of their predictions may be true, or none. In this case, the prediction of Seto Kaiba was incorrect.

Seto Kaiba died. A fifteen year old child, dead. And it was strange, because the last time the High Priest died, there was chaos in the Shadow Realm. The Blue Eyes White Dragons unleashed their wrath. The other dragons mourned. Even the Dark Magician would not come despite the most relentless orders and threats.

Yet this time, there was no reaction. Instead, the Shadow Realm closed on itself. The monsters still came and went through the cards, but there was no sorrow, no pain.

Did the boy really die then?

Or could it be that he simply passed out of existence? But that couldn't be. Last time that happened, everyone except Shadi forgot the person ever existed. This time, the world mourned.

Imagine, the world mourning. Seto Kaiba was not the most popular character in Japan, let alone on Earth. Yet the world seemed to sympathize the young CEO. Shadi remembered how low murmurs were spoken of how intelligent the boy was and how much of a pity it was that he should die so early when his future looked so promising.

Promising. Indeed.

There was a whisper in the background. Shadi turned, slightly alarmed. On the topic of Seto, he remembered how the young boy had stumbled into his room. The child must have been ten then, and very fragile and scared. Shadi had comforted him to the best of his ability-which was to lull the boy to sleep. The boy whispered incantations in his dreams, and that soft voice seemed to have carried all the innocence in the world.

Shadi felt a warmth stir in his heart. How long it had been, since he had last felt it? Ever since the High Priest died he remained loyal to the Pharaoh but couldn't help feeling slightly bitter towards him. The Pharaoh understood him well, and trusted him. You don't have to like the other person to trust them.

The fires flickered. Something glittered on the floor. Shadi walked over. It was a headdress. Seto's headdress. The High Priest had been special. He was the only priest to ever wear that headdress. All others had changed to become more standardized. Shadi bent down and picked up the object and studied it. It looked worn. Old. It was in tatters. Yet there was a beauty to it, like a tender memory. He wondered where it came from.

Then the inscriptions on the walls began to move. Shadi, startled, stepped back, watching, almost fascinated, at the tiny figures shift and twirl, wave, and the pictures on the walls move back and forth as if acting a silent play.

" Don't be afraid." A voice spoke behind him. Shadi whirled around. It was the High Priest, clad in white, staring at the pictures moving eerily in the firelight. " 'Tis only the fire that creates the illusions. Take care of the headdress."

Shadi looked down at the headdress, worn and old, then back at Seto.

But Seto was not there.

The pictures had stopped moving. The air was still. The fire was still flickering, but Shadi suddenly felt cold. He realized that Seto was very much alive. But there was something about the boy that was not quite right. Seto was not evil. His purity won't allow it. But something happened to the child, and Shadi dreaded the truth.

  
  
Jou looked up from his textbook. It was late. He should be getting to bed, but there's a test tomorrow in history and he couldn't afford to fail it. History wasn't his major, but Jou didn't like failing in college. 

He didn't get into the best college, but his college was still pretty good. Jou had decided not to go to the clubhouse that night because he was afraid of the exam. Not that it would be a hard exam-the professors here are lenient and you can bribe an A out of them, but the exam required studying and Jou wasn't good at bribing.

The phone rang.

" Kuso. Who would be calling this late?" Honda muttered from his bed. Jou shrugged, fetching the phone. " Moshi moshi?"  
" Seto Kaiba's back."

Jou nearly dropped the phone in shock. " N-Nani? Who is this? Yugi?"  
" I saw him, Jou. I saw him with my own eyes. Ryou saw him too. And I talked with Yami. They all saw him."

Jou was silent for a while. " Is he okay?"  
" He's very happy." Yugi sounded bitter. " He made fun of me. Ryou and Yami said he looked cheerful and happy. And he didn't look a day older than when we last saw him. I think we all saw his ghost."

Ghost. Jou never did like ghosts. Over the years he had spent with Yami and Yami Bakura he had learned that ghosts exist, but that didn't mean he had to like them. After all, Yami's only one out of many, and Bakura didn't show him any reason to like ghosts.

" Seto's ghost?" Jou thought for a while, trying to use some logic. " Why would he come back after seven years?" Honda blinked, sitting up abruptly.  
" Maybe he just died. I don't know." Yugi answered solemnly. Jou concluded the other man was scared. " But whatever the reason, he's back. I don't know what he wants. I don't know why he appeared to us. Should we call Mokuba and tell him? I didn't think that would be a good idea, but Ryou's insisting."  
" I don't think so." Jou frowned. " What if it's all a hoax?"

Suddenly, ringing from the hallway, came the sound of an orchestra, playing a very intense piece. Jou jumped, startled. Honda jumped to his feet.   
" What's that?" Yugi asked.  
" I don't know. Sounds like there's a different instrument in each area." The violins came from the left and the cellos came from the right. Honda looked at Jou.

" What's going on?" Honda asked. " Do you think..."

Then the music abruptly stopped. There was silence. Then shouts could be heard as other students complained about the annoyance.

" Seto?" Jou called, " Listen, I gotta go." He hung up. " Seto, are you out there?"

There was silence. The dorms were silent as well, as the students went back to bed.

" Seto?"  
" Shh!" Someone said to his ear. Jou whirled around. Seto was standing right behind him. Honda was speechless from shock. Jou tried to calm himself.  
" Nani?!"  
" Hush! People are resting. Wouldn't want them to yell at you, would you?" Seto smirked. " That's my favorite piece, by the way. It's the scene where the Montagues and the Capulets have a sword dance. Literally. Prokofiev is a genius."  
" Nani?"  
" You should go to Moscow sometime." Seto smirked again. " They have a great theater. I heard this Sunday they're playing Romeo and Juliet."  
" Kaiba? How...what the heck happened to you, man? You left Mokuba all alone, and you had the entire world going nuts! Kaiba Corps is gone, did you know that?!" Honda recovered his voice and yelled. Seto blinked, as if amused.

" Nothing happened to me, really," He flashed a gentle smile. " I was only adopted. And Mokuba was never alone-I watched him the entire time. Aren't you proud? He's taller than me. He's smarter, luckier, he'll do great in life. Of course, I'm here to make it greater! And who cares about Kaiba Corps? It served its purpose, didn't it?"

Jou kept his eye on Seto as he turned. " What happened? What do you mean, you were _adopted?_ And why aren't you any older than seven years ago?"  
" Do I have to look older?" Seto asked, almost laughing with mirth. " Yami's not a day older, is he? But you two sure grew. Fine young gentlemen, ready to graduate by the end of the term. Congrats."

Jou and Honda looked more surprised than ever. " Kaiba? What the heck happened to you?"  
" I thought I answered that." Seto answered lightheartedly. " Oh well, I'll be off now. Can't keep students up too late, eh?"  
" Hey, wait!" Jou cried, as he rushed out the door after Seto. But Seto was nowhere to be found. Instead, Jou found a few students standing in the hallway in their pajamas, all glaring at him.

" Would you shut up?" Asked one of the students. " Just because you're a senior doesn't mean you can go around and party while everyone else is trying to sleep."

Jou blinked, apologized sheepishly, then went back inside. There was no sign of Seto.

  
  
Author's Notes: The poem in this chapter came from Best Loved Poems of the American People. I cannot give the author because the author is unknown.

The piece the Orchestra was playing is part of a ballet that Sergei Prokofiev wrote called " Romeo and Juliet", after Shakespeare's well-known play. It is during Act I scene I where the Montagues and Capulets begin their quarrel and start fighting. The actual ending is when the Young Juliet is introduced, but in this story, it ends when the Prince interferes and decrees a command to the two families. 

The setting of this story is sometime in the future. The five powers still have nothing more destructive than nuclear weapons. Japan is in a tough economic situation, partly because of Kaiba Corps' downfall. There are other issues that played part in its economic decline, and in order to protect themselves, the Japanese government wanted to begin construction of their own nuclear weapons. I chose the US to disapprove because the US always disapproved, and despite the multicultural openness of this country, we cannot ignore that the Chinese and Japanese government were not the best of friends, as history had already proved to us. In a way, this is somewhere near the end of Japan. I plead pardon from all those who are disturbed by this setting. I assure my readers that I have no animosity against either America or China, as I'm Chinese myself and I would be a fool to think the US is as wicked as this story might play them out to be.

" Little Boy" was the nuclear bomb that hit Japan during WWII. Which is why the characters in this story think of other nuclear bombs as " Little Boys". It's a rather nasty euphemism in my opinion, but " Operation Sunshine" was no better for a hydrogen bomb, so I'm assuming that most projects of this kind are often named this way.

Seto will not die. I will not say what happened. That is for you to figure out in the following chapters. 


	2. Chapter 2

Angel of the Moon

Chapter 2

" Angel, you should get some rest. How are the visits, by the way?" Scarlett asked as she tucked the boy in. She was a middle aged woman, still beautiful, with flashing blue eyes and a young smile. Her hair was a light brown, without any grays, and her hand was soft and tender. She was middle aged, but she looked very young, though motherly.

" They were good." Seto answered as he snuggled deeper under the covers, making room for Scarlett to sit down by him. " Some of them got freaked out."  
" How was your brother?"  
" Oh, I didn't get to see him." Seto answered. " I was saving him for last. But then I got tired. So I came back. I have lots of time."  
" True, true. Now, Angel," Scarlett stood up, " You ought to sleep now."  
" I know, I know." Seto closed his eyes. " And by the way, does Mokuba get a new name too?"  
" What do _you _want to call him then?" Scarlett smiled. " We're not giving him one."  
" I think I'm going to keep his name. Mokuba. We can't both be called Angel, after all, even if he's my angel."

Scarlett smiled.  
" Hold, don't close the door!" Voices called. " Angel! Are you sleeping yet?"  
" No." Seto sat up abruptly, his face lighting up. Scarlett groaned as a couple of teenagers rushed in, their dark robes sweeping the floor clean, but they didn't care.  
" Angel, tell us, how was Japan? Or Gapan? Or whatever you called it?" Asked Loriou, a very tall, black haired and blue eyed boy. He was several years older than Seto.  
" It was fun. Very different. Lots of poverty. They're all going to die anyway." Seto answered, yawning.  
" Did you see your brother? What was he like? Does he still have long hair?" Asked Brynhild, a fair haired, hazel eyed young girl. She was around Seto's age.  
" I didn't see him." Seto answered. " I was too tired."  
" Weakling." Jacob teased. " Are you feeling alright?"  
" Hai-Yeah, I'm alright." Seto answered. " It's just the atmosphere. It's so polluted. I'll have lung cancer if I were still mortal."  
" Idiot. You were never a mortal. Aralan knows how the Pharaoh killed you so many years ago. Did you know how scared we were? But you made a surprising comeback."  
" Hm." Seto couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. The children, understanding, bade him goodnight and left him to rest.

  
  
Dawn found Seto busy and hyper. Cries of " Angel!" or " Blue Eyes!" rang everywhere. Seto responded to both names as if they were his all along. In reality, they were his, because no one else was called by them, not even Loriou or Scarlett.

The sorcerers were busy. The school was under construction and Seto's help was needed almost everywhere. He could be seen popping up in one place, then disappearing to pop up in another. Other young sorcerers were doing the same. 

" Angel, we need your help here! The walls are crumbling down!" Seto disappeared, to appear in the section of the voices and held the wall up with his magic.  
" God, you people should do math." Seto laughed, setting the wall right. " How can you expect the wall to stand at an eighty seven degree angle?"  
" It looked alright," The boy named Marael muttered. " We can't figure out what's a parallel line with the ground. It's so bumpy."  
" Bumpy? Do you honestly expect dirt to be smooth as marble?"  
" No, but it should be level, at least."  
" Well, what do you do to make it level? You dig of course! With magic! Now, we need-"  
" Angel!"

Seto laughed. " You know what to do." He disappeared.

  
  
" I'm off to the Mortal Realm! And this time, Scarlett, can you not transport me to Antarctica? It's not exactly welcoming and warm there."  
" I'm so sorry honey." Scarlett smiled tenderly. " I don't know how it happened. When we fetched you last time it never happened."  
" I know, I know, I know." Seto nodded, before passing through the wall that divided the Sorceror's and the Mortal's realms.

He entered the world where the air was filled with smoke and chemicals and the sky became more gray than blue. The world was slowly dying. But Japan will suffer first.

Seto looked around at the mansion. He saw that it looked exactly the same as he left it, though it was slightly older. The flowers grew in more places. He entered the house.

There was an air of loneliness in the rooms. Seto sat down on the couch where Mokuba use to watch TV. He waited for his brother to get home.

  
  
The clock ticked. Mokuba shut the door. Another day in the lonely house. Yugi and the others had said they couldn't go over to the dorms. He couldn't got to the game shop either. The old man wasn't home.

Another day at the lonely house. Mokuba went to the kitchen. He took a cookie from the plate that his brother left for him and grabbed the glass of milk.

His brother left for him. That's not right. Ever since Seto disappeared, no one was there to leave him cookies and milk. He never ate those anymore.

Fear clutching his heart, he slowly walked over to the living room. The TV was on, though the sound was too low for Mokuba to hear at first. There was a figure on the couch. Mokuba tip toed over.

It was Seto in the flesh.

Mokuba gasped. The figure on the couch did not wake. He reached a wavering hand, and touched Seto's cheek. It was warm. He felt his face, his hands. They were real. The hands closed over his gently, and Seto opened his eyes and smiled.

" Hi Mokuba." He greeted.  
" Ni-sama," Mokuba was eighteen years old, but he was crying like a little boy, and like a child he threw himself into Seto's arms.  
" Ni-sama, you're alive!" Mokuba laughed, tears rolling down his face in streams. " I thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead. You're not going to leave me, are you?"  
" No. Never." Seto answered, kissing his brother's head. " In fact, you'll have a hard time getting rid of me from now on."  
" I won't have it any other way." Mokuba chuckled, letting go of Seto and looking at him in the eye. " Don't tell me what happened to you. I don't want to know right now. I just want to know that you're real. You're _real._"  
" What does your heart tell you?" Seto asked Mokuba tenderly.  
" You're alive. You're here. And you're never going to leave me again." Mokuba answered softly.  
" Then trust it." Seto answered. " You do believe in the Heart of the Cards, right?"   
" Hai." Mokuba nodded.  
" You have a more knowing heart than the cards." Seto answered. " And this one is always right."

  
  
Yami waited by the deserted alley. The message he got was a disturbing one. He really should have ignored it, but these days no one challenged him to a duel anymore, partly because he lost the will to play. Ever since Seto disappeared there was no one to match his skill.

But this letter was different. This letter made Yami want to duel.

The other night's encounter with Seto had seemed more like an imagination, and that morning Yami and the others had all agreed that it must have been some work of imagination, as they were all thinking about Seto at that time. Seto couldn't possibly be here. Seto was dead. Gone. Passed out of existence. 

_One last duel._ Yami vowed.

The figure appeared, clothed in brown, with a hood covering his face. The voice was whispering. Yami couldn't identify it.

" So you have come."  
" I was intrigued." Yami answered. " I expect you to be a worthy opponent, however. Kindly give me your name."  
" My name is Angel." The figure answered. " Though I am called by many others."  
" What are the stakes?" Yami asked.  
" We can request anything we want from the other." Angel answered. _I doubt he knows what he's doing._ He thought to himself. _Perhaps that night had startled his spirit._

The former Pharaoh was slightly shocked. This wasn't what he was expecting. Should he really risk this? The man never mentioned this in his letter. He only said there would be interesting stakes.

The duel began slowly. Neither drew good cards, but the man was confident. Secretly, Yami thought he was a bad player. He kept on falling into Yami's traps, but that confidence never wavered.

Yami was beginning to lose his guard. This man is a joker! How could he expect to win against the King of Games?

Yami drew the Dark Magician. 

" I summon the Dark Magician, in attack mode!"  
" It's about time." Angel replied. " I was wondering when you'd draw it. Perhaps it's because you think this duel is too easy. Well then, I suppose I shall make it harder." The man drew a card.  
" Ah, Yami," The cloaked figure straightened, and Yami could make out glowing blue eyes from underneath the hood, " This is a blast from the past. I doubt you've forgotten this card. It's a mighty rare card, and in the world there are only four, with one in your grandfather's hands."

Yami sucked in his breath, at first not understanding.

" I summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

  
  
During the seven years Industrial Illusions had always made more cards. As the old cards worn out and slowly crumbled into dust, new and more beautiful cards replaced them. Pegasus never found reason to make any more Blue Eyes White Dragons, even though the three functioning ones had disappeared along with Seto Kaiba. 

Was it because the man felt that the Blue Eyes White Dragons rightfully belonged to Seto Kaiba? No one really knew. As time wore on, the Blue Eyes became legendary. Seto Kaiba's name florished only because of the cards that no one was sure really existed. Even then, his name was fading, and at the end of the sixth year the Blue Eyes White Dragons became merely a myth and few people knew it.

Pegasus didn't bother changing that. He issued a search for Seto Kaiba, and when the boy was not found did not bring his name up again. The Blue Eyes White Dragon passed out of the records. Seto Kaiba's name passed out of history.

No one else possessed even a copy or drawing of the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

  
  
" Where did you get the card?" Yami asked, his voice tight, memories of the other night flashing in his mind. Of course it couldn't have been a hallucination. They all saw him! What could he have been thinking?  
" It's rather interesting." Seto answered, his hood falling off on its own accord. " This particular one I came by accident. One morning, when Duel Monsters was new, I went to a game shop in Tokyo and saw it at the window. I bought it. It was only later that I found out how rare it was. The price was ridiculous, but I knew it was worth it. How? Because it's the same as your puzzle, Yami. On the outside it looks like a simple gold ornament. But it's what's on the inside that counts."

Yami dropped his cards. The game ended right there. Seto looked at Yami.

" I'm glad we have a chance to meet formally this time." Seto said quietly.   
" Where have you been?" Yami asked softly, keeping his distance, almost afraid of Seto. Seto only smiled warmly.  
" Do you remember that day, seven years ago?" Seto asked. Yami blinked. The other went on. " I was in my office that day while you and Jou took Mokuba to the library so he could do his homework. That day at the office I received a package from someone named Huliva."

Huliva? Yami knew no one by that name.

" I was suspicious, of course." Seto went on. " The bad side of being famous is there is always someone willing to kill you. But when I checked the package, there was nothing dangerous I could detect. Therefore, I opened the package."

Yami blinked. So Seto is a ghost?

" Inside was an object like Malik's Millennium Rod." Seto smiled. " Only it was made of white gold, and there was a sapphire orb at the top, glittering like liquid pools. The orb was surrounded with flowers and leaves. I picked it up, and all of the sudden, it grew, long and slender, and lo and behold, I held a staff!"

There was a loud explosion, and Seto wielded a staff from behind his cloak. He placed it on the ground, showing his status, and his cloak spread to show the white robes beneath.

" And then, I felt such power," Seto's eyes were dazed, as if he were looking into the distance, " Such power I have never felt before. I threw the offending staff away from me, and it shrank back into a rod.I did not touch that staff for a few hours, but then a visitor came. It was Huliva."

Yami listened, nodding slowly.

" At the same time," Seto went on, " Another man came. Huliva, at the sight of the man, attacked him with his staff, physically. Things happened that I cannot remember, but I do recall one blast sent me flying out the window."

Yami swallowed the lump in his throat. So this is it. Seto's a ghost.

" I thought to myself, how ironic it was, that I killed Gozaburo and his revenge was for me to die the same way. I did not die. Instead, I landed in someone's arms, and as I blacked out I saw the world around me change."

" They took me to another world." Seto glanced towards the heavens. " A marvelous world it was, so clean, so pure, so utterly beautiful, and there I felt as if I were in the domain of angels. Children ran up to me, others ran up to me, asking if I was alright. Later Huliva came and he explained everything to me."  
" What?" Yami asked.  
" Do you remember the time when you were Pharaoh?" Seto asked. " There was a certain High Priest that you had condemned to death."

Yami paled. He did not want to hear this! But Seto did not force him to.

" I was not a High Priest." Seto answered his unasked question. " I was a sorceror. As a child I was sent to Egypt to guard against the Shadow Realm's wrath. Had you let me live, the Shadow Realm would have been sealed forever. With my interference, however, you were able to seal the Shadow Realm temporarily. But the immortals are not willing to sacrifice me for the mortal realm anymore. The Time of the Beast comes the End. The Shadow Realm will engulf you all. I came for Shadi and my brother."

Yami swallowed the information to the point where he choked. He stared at Seto.

" I was Heaven's child." Seto went on. " My true name is Angel. But Mokuba is still my brother. I am the hope of the mortals and immortals. The Lord of the Moon. I wield the staff of the Divine Dragon. And five thousand years ago, you murdered me. For this alone, you will not be saved from this peril. However, be comforted that I know no hate towards you."  
" What about the others? Yugi? Jou? Ryou?" Yami asked desperately.  
" I come for Shadi and Mokuba." Seto answered. " And they alone."  
" Why Shadi?"  
" Because he is immortal."

  
  
The young immortals hurried through the streets.

" This blasted air is making me sick." Said Brynhild, pulling her hair back. " Where is he? Surely the Pharaoh wouldn't harm him again?"  
" You think the bloody Pharaoh has any power over him anymore?" Jacob sneered. " Good Aralen, where are you Angel?"  
" Should we use the staffs?" Brynhild asked.  
" Is that alright?" Loriou asked. " I mean, maybe if one of the mortals sees us..."  
" Just do it." Jacob snapped.

Loriou sighed, then, twirling his staff, he chanted,

_" Angel's voices,  
Sapphire stones,  
Give heed to the call,  
Release the signal,  
Be it smoke or fire,  
Lightning or thunder,  
Point me to the Divine Dragon!"_

Seto raised his head as his staff began glowing. Yami froze.  
" What's that?" Yami asked.  
" It's the others." Seto answered calmly. " They must be wondering why I was gone for so long. I did not tell them I plan to stay with Mokuba tonight, before taking him back tomorrow."  
" Tomorrow?' Yami blinked. " But-"  
" Hai. Tomorrow." Seto answered, lifting his staff higher so the light would be more visible in the distance. A heavy silence fell. Then the sorcerers appeared.

" Thank Aralen you're alright. What are you doing?" Salne asked, grabbing Seto's shoulders. " You're having that blasted duel with the Pharaoh again? Still did not get over the old grudge, I see!"  
" Actually, it was a rather interesting way to greet an old friend." Seto smiled. " I'm planning to stay with my brother tonight. I only came to speak to Yami. Do you want to see him? We have a nice mansion. I haven't seen that mansion in a long time, but it looks the same."  
" Oh I really want to see that brother of yours!" Lena laughed, clapping her hands in delight. Seto turned to Yami.  
" Do you want to come with us?" He asked. Yami shook his head. His heart felt bitter.   
" Iie. Arigatou. I think I'll be going back to the university now."

Seto nodded. " I'll see you Yami."

The sorcerers vanished.

Yami remained in the alley for a long time before turning towards the university dorms. His heart felt heavy with remorse and despair. Seto's words did little to comfort him.

Still, perhaps this would help him, this End of the world. Eternity in a golden puzzle. He had sentenced his soul to eternity of entrapment. When the world is gone, he would be gone too, and the weariness would be eased.

He wished more than anything that he did not kill the High Priest. He wished that he did not care more for his dignity than a faithful servant. It was a mistake he was paying now.

Odd how things work.

  
  
" Mokuba, this is Loriou, the one who's overly cautious, Brynhild, the one who's obsessed with unicorns-" At this Brynhild stuck her tongue at Seto, who merely chuckled, " Lena, who gets hyper usually so don't taunt her, Jacob, he's great at black magic, and Salne, the only one who's as old as I am."

Mokuba laughed. " Nice to meet you all." He said.  
" Wow, your brother's quite handsome now." Brynhild nodded approvingly. " Last I saw him he was a teeny weeny little boy. Now he's grown up into a fine young lad."

Mokuba blushed in embarrassment.  
" This place is big." Loriou looked around. " I never imagined a place so big could be built for one person."  
" You've never seen Forbidden City."

Mokuba laughed.  
" Come along, Mokuba has some tea leaves, we'll treat you to dinner." Seto offered. " You'll have some Japanese tea, eh? Before this all goes away."

For some reason the immortals found it funny and they broke into laughter.

  
  
  
The night was starting to get cold. Ryou wrapped the coat more tightly around himself. His yami looked up ahead.

" There's the mansion." Bakura said to Ryou. " The lights are on. Mokuba must be home."

Ryou remained silent. Bakura suddenly stopped.

" Pharaoh."  
" Tomb Robber."  
" You look like you've seen a ghost. Did you see Kaiba again?" Ryou asked, walking up next to his yami.  
" He's not a ghost. And his name is no longer Seto Kaiba." Yami answered. " He says this is the end."  
" What do you mean?" Bakura asked.  
" Seto's in there." Yami gestured towards the mansion. " You can ask him for yourself. I'm sure he won't mind. I don't think he cares what we do anymore."

Yami slipped past them and began walking away.

" Yami! Where are you going?" Ryou asked, stepping forward to attempt to catch up. Yami's voice stopped him.  
" I'm going back to Yugi. Might as well protect him the best I could until I can no longer." Yami's shadow disappeared.

" What do you think he meant?" Ryou asked Bakura. Bakura shook his head. " I don't know. Maybe Kaiba's after Yugi and Yami."  
" What did he mean, Kaiba's name is no longer Seto Kaiba?"  
" I don't know."

  
  
" Really? Yami quit? Well I guess I was lucky I intrigued him. I never paid that much attention to him." Seto sipped his tea.  
" That's because he's paying more attention on his brother." Brynhild teased. " And getting into trouble."  
" I don't _get_ into trouble. Trouble finds me."  
" It wouldn't find you so many times if you hadn't made yourself so easy to be found." Loriou pointed out.   
" So you know everything?" Mokuba asked.  
" Of course. I was always watching you. I know you once had a crush on that girl-what's her name? I think it was Ritsuko. Got really scared, because I don't know what will happen if you do fall in love with that girl-I can't take both of you back with me. Good thing you got over it."

Mokuba blushed.

" So all this will be gone." Mokuba looked at the mansion. " What will happen, exactly?"  
" America will drop a few atomic bombs, no big deal." Seto shrugged, completely unconcerned. " One of them will drop right on this mansion and blast it into tiny atoms. You might want to take some precious belongings with you. Don't worry, we won't have to take the house. I got a better one. Then of course, the United States will drop around ten others around Honshu and the other islands. This island will fall over and be like the city of Atlantis. Yami might think to take Yugi and the others to Egypt-but they won't escape that way. After Japan's gone, the Phillipines will be next, then Indonesia, and gradually all the islands, including Chile, will be gone. Even Hawaii, I believe. Afterwards, the Shadow Realm will do the rest. It starts at Egypt and goes on from there. Once the Shadow Realm takes over completely, this planet will blast into pieces. Nothing will survive."  
" Sounds intense." Mokuba frowned.  
" It is. It's really exciting. You can watch if you want." Seto shrugged. " Or maybe not. It might be too violent, but really, we don't care that much. If I had more family than you, I probably would start worrying, but as I only have you-you probably think I'm being heartless right now. But really, this world was failing ever since it began. Once you come and smell the air back at home, you'll love the place so much you won't even miss Japan. Trust me."

Mokuba scowled. He doubted his brother for the first time. But Seto offered him a gentle smile.

" I know you've grown up Mokuba." Seto whispered. " It's hard to see your own kind die out. But sometimes you have to sacrifice things. If I can save this world I will. But it's their time. And other worlds will sprout out, each one better than before. Don't worry. You're not abandoning anyone."

Mokuba smiled. Trust his brother to know what he's thinking, even after all these years. 

" So, tell me about the other place." Mokuba winked. Seto burst out laughing.  
" Let's see, there's this person named Scarlett. You'll meet her. She's like a mother to me. A mother hen. Always going around poking me and making sure I'm eating. I swear, if I weren't immortal, I would be as fat as a wrestler by now. They have lots of food up there, by the way. Even Jou wouldn't finish them all-though he eats a little less now, since his metabolism has slowed down. There are some amazing creatures-I remember that when I first met the winged unicorn I was really surprised. You'll see them. I can't explain very well."

Mokuba smiled. " You're getting me all excited."  
" I knew you would." Seto answered. " So how's the school doing?" He asked the other sorcerers.  
" Alright." Lena nodded. " They had some problems with the walls, you know, I imagine."  
" I do." Seto rolled his eyes. " They should study math."

  
  
" Good night Yami." Yugi said as he closed his eyes and fell silent. Yami stayed awake.  
" Good night Yugi." He whispered. " As long as I can still say it. Good night."

The hikari did not hear. He was already asleep. Outside the sky was starless, as the smoke and clouds covered everything, giving the sky an orange color instead of a black. Cars honked, people yelled. Yami sat in the darkness.

" Good night Seto." 


End file.
